Laundry detergent products can be found on the market to date in various forms, such as solid granular compositions and tablets, or liquid compositions. This gives the consumer a choice of detergent products they can use.
Some detergent ingredients currently used by the laundry industry, are preferably manufactured and processed in solid form, for example because these ingredients are water-insoluble and are difficult or costly to include in a liquid detergent composition, or because these materials are preferably transported and supplied in solid form and therefore require extra processing steps to enable them to be included in a liquid detergent composition. Such detergent ingredients include surfactants, hence these surfactants require extra processing steps to enable them to be included in liquid detergent compositions. Also, certain ingredients are formed into granular form and supplied and processed in solid form for stability reasons, for example certain enzyme prills.
Current methods of incorporating water-insoluble solid ingredients and ingredients typically supplied in solid form such as surfactants, into liquid detergent compositions include the use of emulsifiers, and dispersants. However, these liquid detergent compositions comprise only low amounts of these solid ingredients. For example, liquid detergent ingredients can comprise only low amounts of certain water-insoluble building agents such as aluminosilicates or water-insoluble fabric softening agents such as clays, provided dispersants or emulsifiers are used.
However, it is desirable to include higher levels of water-insoluble solid ingredients such as water-insoluble building agents in a detergent composition with a substantial amount of liquid detergent ingredients. It is also desirable to be able to incorporate detergent ingredients that are typically transported in solid form, including granules comprising surfactants, in to a detergent composition comprising a substantial amount of liquid ingredients without the need for extra costly and difficult processing steps.
The inventors have found that by using a multi-compartment water-soluble pouch comprising at least two separate compartments, water-insoluble solid detergent ingredients can be included in a detergent composition comprising other liquid detergent ingredients, without the need for difficult, costly manufacturing and processing steps. The water-insoluble solid detergent ingredient is comprised by one compartment of a multi-compartment water-soluble pouch whilst the liquid detergent ingredients are comprised by another compartment of said pouch. Detergent compositions comprised by a multi-compartment water-soluble pouch in this way can comprise higher levels of water-insoluble solid detergent ingredients such as water insoluble building agent together with liquid detergent ingredients.
The inventors have also found that by using a multi-compartment water-soluble pouch comprising at least two separate compartments, detergent ingredients that are usually transported and supplied to the detergent manufacturers in solid form, such as agglomerates comprising surfactants, can be included in a detergent composition comprising substantial amounts of liquid detergent ingredients, without the need for difficult, costly manufacturing and processing steps. The solid detergent ingredients are comprised by one compartment of a multi-compartment water-soluble pouch whilst the liquid detergent ingredients are comprised by another compartment of said pouch.